Michelle Jenneke started training with her first coach Mick Zisti when she was ten-years-old and competed for Cherrybrook Little Athletics Club. In 2010, she placed second in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Two years later she was a finalist at the world junior championships in Barcelona.

After an injury in 2013, she made a successful international debut in 2014, progressing to the final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Against the clock, she progressed significantly in 2015. She started the year with a best of 13.23, but by the end of 2015 she had run nine times quicker and dragged her best to 12.82 to become the second fastest in Australian history. She also progressed to the semi-final at the 2015 World Championships and won bronze at the 2015 World University Games.

After placing fourth in her heat at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in March, she won the national title in an Olympic qualifying time of 12.93. In Rio, she placed sixth in her heat and didn’t progress to the next round. In 2017 she compiled a strong domestic season running 12.99 in March - her fifth sub-13 second time of her career. At the National Championships in April, she placed third. At the 2017 World Championships, she ran well in the heats to progress to the semi-final of the 100m hurdles. Two weeks later, in late August, she was again in competition at the World University Games, placing eighth in the 100m hurdles final.

She went into the 2018 Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games trials ranked third in Australia but rose to the occasion to place second to Sally Pearson and courtesy of her earlier A qualifying mark, achieved automatic selection for her second Games. In early March 2018 she competed at her second IAAF World Indoor Championships, progressing to the semi-final in the 60m hurdles.

She became an internet sensation, as the “Dancing Hurdler”, after footage of her pre-race warm-up dancing was captured at a 100 metres hurdles heat at the 2012 World Junior Championships went viral. Currently, one version of the video has amassed more than 27 million views on YouTube.

She is studying Engineering (Mechatronics) at University of Sydney and spends part of her week on the Gold Coast training with her coach Ash Mahoney.